Irvine-based apparel maker La Jolla Group wants to get personal with customers.
The company announced a partnership last week with Austria-based marketing firm Emarsys to bolster its marketing strategy across the web, social media and email for its portfolio of brands, including O’Neill, Spiritual Gangster and Hang Ten.
Nathan Liu, La Jolla Group’s vice president of e-commerce and digital, said the partnership employs Emarsys’ artificial intelligence platform to help increase repeat business from customers.
“Personalization is becoming increasingly critical to better serve our active lifestyle customers,” Liu said in a statement. “By embedding AI into our marketing strategy, Emarsys is helping us automate and deliver cross-channel personalization to both new and existing customers. This partnership and investment will ensure we build longer and better relationships with our customers while effectively meeting their active wear needs.”
The solutions include software that will offer deeper data collection providing insight into consumer behavior and product recommendations tailored to individual customers.
La Jolla Group announced several executive changes last month, as well as its combining the operations of O’Neill’s men and women’s business.
Kari Johnson was named chief creative officer to oversee product and marketing for O’Neill. She previously led its women’s division.
Mark Tinkess was named senior vice president of revenue and marketing strategy following a stint as president of Laguna Beach-based men’s brand Roark Revival.
Josh Wellington will take on the president role in addition to serving as chief operating officer.
Michael Pratt was named chief financial officer and senior vice president of strategy. He spent more than six years at Nike Inc. in strategy and finance roles.
La Jolla Group said that as part of the reorganization, men’s General Manager Steve Ward and Chief Financial Officer Cristy Abella have left the company.
Spring Forward
South Coast Plaza was in full bloom to promote the launch of its Spring Portfolio, which showcases the latest fashion from the Costa Mesa mall’s luxury brands.
The portfolio was shot by fashion photographer An Le and featured models Anja Rubik and Catherine McNeil. Its cover was shot at a salt mine in Twentynine Palms and photographed using mirrors that showcased the front and back of designs by labels such as Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Tod’s.
Additional images were taken at Joshua Tree in Acido Dorado, a golden-hued house designed by architect Robert Stone.
To celebrate, Executive Director of Marketing Debra Gunn Downing hosted an intimate dinner with a number of notable guests, including South Coast Plaza Managing Partner Anton Segerstrom and his wife, Jennifer; Ketel One Vodka President and Chief Executive Carl Nolet Jr. and wife, Janet; hedge fund manager Richard Merage and wife, Lisa Vogel, founder of swimwear label LUXE by Lisa Vogel; and Mike and Susan Etchandy of Etchandy Farms in Orange and Ventura counties.
Bravo TV was also there to film a new reality TV series about interior designer Sunny Ravenbach, founder of Costa Mesa-based event planner White Lilac.
Pushing Ahead
Digital media and advertising firm Propel Media Inc. released its 2017 earnings last week.
The Irvine-based company ended the year with $88.7 million in revenue, an estimated 45% increase year-over-year.
Its pretax earnings were $34.5 million, compared to $21.9 million in 2016. Propel said it’s the 12th consecutive quarter it’s posted positive pretax earnings since going public in 2015. Its shares trade on the over-the-counter market.
On a GAAP basis, Propel Media lost $363,000 compared to a profit of $581,000. The company recorded $12.1 million of interest expense, $18.1 million in income tax expense last year.
Among the risk factors disclosed in Propel Media’s 10-K filing is a $58,382,000 term loan with an effective interest rate of 10.2% per year. The term loan comes due next January. Management says it’s “actively pursuing the refinancing” of it.
Chief Executive Officer Marv Tseu said the company set high bars and is proud to have “exceeded expectations.”
“This year, we will continue to dedicate resources to grow our audience and invest in DeepIntent’s cutting edge software development and go-to-market strategy,” Tseu said in a statement.
Last year Propel Media acquired DeepIntent, a data and programmatic buying platform for advertisers.
